Mercy Health Partners has created a new hospital on a 65 acre site located in Green Township on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio. The sustainable site plan features low energy LED site lighting, a prairie, bioretention areas, and thousands of native plants. A 2.5 acre green roof is located above mechanical and surgical rooms and two patient towers rise four stories above the green roof offering healing views for patients and visitors.

The green roof is primarily an extensive green roof planted with a mixture of 50,000 sedum plants of four varieties. Swirling across the green roof are intensive berms that mound to 30” high on which larger grasses and perennials grow recalling the rolling hills of Ohio’s ancient prairies. Prairie grasses number 1,300 plants and they include Little Bluestem and Prairie Dropseed. Over 12,500 perennials were installed including Allium, Milkweed, Pinks, Rudbeckia, Monarda, Liatris, and Obedient Plant. These perennials bloom for a number of weeks from spring to early fall and display a range of colors from white, yellow and orange to pink, red, and purple.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video. Here is the transcript from September 14, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here. Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for September 14, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Our project of the week is the J. L. McMillan Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse built in 2011 in Florence, South Carolina. It is a project of the Federal Recovery Act of 2009, and joins the rankings of one of the largest green roofs in the Southeast United States to date, and actually may be the largest in South Carolina. An extensive green roof system was selected due to the load constraints of the existing structure.

About 51,000 plugs from Emory Knoll Farms including species of Sedums, Delosperma, Talinum, and Allium were planted in 329 tons of lightweight Stalite-PermaTill growing medium at a 4″ depth. Staging this project was especially challenging because the courthouse remained open during its construction. The crane was frequently moved to accommodate employee parking and a few night shifts were necessary to access one side of the building. Lifting 220 crane bags of growing media to a 5-story roof could have been a logistical nightmare, but the team at Living Roofs, Inc. executed the entire installation with no serious complications.

– To learn more about the J. L. McMillan Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

Linda S. Velazquez, Founder & Publisher of Greenroofs.com says, “Last year’s groundbreaking Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 was an exciting first in our industry. Greenroofs.com is very proud of our trendsetting online conference and we’re absolutely delighted to be partnering this year with WGIN, who will bring an even greater international audience to our world stage. 2013’s Virtual Summit alliance with WGIN allows us to optimize resources and promote leading edge information in a multi-lingual format.”

And, Tanya Mueller Garcia, Vice President of WGIN says, “The World Green Infrastructure Network is delighted to be co-organizing the 2nd Virtual Summit, a cutting edge event, giving people worldwide the opportunity to learn about green roofs and walls as well as the opportunity to interact with leading trend setters. You will without doubt find valuable information regarding green roofs and walls, from public policies, latest investigations to the most innovative projects. Be a part of the next great Virtual Summit!” Make sure to read the entire Press Release on our Homepage.

– Christina Williams of Sustainable Business Oregon, talks about “Oregon BEST awards commercialization grants for green roofs, energy storage.” Last week they announced two commercialization grant awards: one that uses ice slush to store power, and another to fund collaborative research on green roofs.

In 2010, Oregon BEST (the Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center) launched its grant program and is now on their way to awarding $1 million in grants this year. Applied Exergy Inc. is a startup company working with Oregon State University to create energy storage technology that captures and stores energy as an icy slush and then uses it when needed. A Portland ecoroof startup, Columbia Green Technologies, whom we’ve reported on before, will use their grant to fund their work with Portland State University researchers to measure and track how ecoroof systems manage stormwater runoff in urban settings.

– The Staff at the Government of Ontario News reports on “Ontario Completes Ottawa Courthouse Green Roof.” The courthouse’s new green roof will reduce energy costs, improve air quality and help Ontario meet its long-term energy conservation goals. It features 60 varieties of plants and helps to protect the building’s structure from the elements of nature. 70,000 square feet of green space total the 26 separate multi-elevated green roofs that all contribute in helping to keep Ottawa’s air clean.

The McGuinty government believes that investing in infrastructure is part of the plan to create jobs for Ontarians and strengthen their economy. A strong economy protects the services that mean the most to families: health care and education.

– To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video. Here is the transcript from August 17, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here. Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for August 17th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Our project of the week is the Our project of the week is the Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm #2 at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building No. 3 built in 2012, in Brooklyn, New York. This rooftop farm located on the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, is a massive 65,000 sq ft roof towering eleven stories over the East River. The lion’s share of the financing for the installation of the Navy Yard farm was granted by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Initiative. With over 45,000 sq ft of the roof covered in soil and planted, it manages over one million gallons of stormwater each year, easing the burden on the overtaxed Red Hook Wastewater Pollution Control Plant.

The farm’s 12-inch deep growing beds are comprised of a special soil medium, rooflite ® intensive ag, blended specifically for rooftop use and custom designed by Brooklyn Grange and Skyland USA. With high productivity already underway, Brooklyn Grange’s second farm anticipates an estimated annual yield of 20,000 pounds of fresh produce per year. Crops will include leafy greens, aromatic herbs, heirloom tomatoes and carrots. The farm is productive during the months of April-November, while winter months see the planting of cover crops, such as clover and vetch, to prevent soil erosion and replenish vital nutrients.

– To learn more about the Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm #2 at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building No. 3, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

– Welcome to our newest sponsor here on Greenroofs.com! Bioroof Systems is a truly North American solution for the green roof marketplace, carrying the ideals of a robust environmental philosophy throughout their green roof solution.

– Jonathan Devin, of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says “Sustainable tourism boon to businesses, travelers and environment.” Tennessee is becoming a national leader in the idea of using tourist attractions to sustain the environment while drawing in tourists who want to support all things green. No more “tourist traps” filled with cheaply manufactured knickknacks and people passing through not thinking about what they’re leaving behind in their footprints.

Tourism is now helping to sustain the natural beauty of the state. A statewide initiative to get Tennessee’s hotels, restaurants, and attractions to start incorporating sustainability practices was put into effect at a kickoff celebration in April 2008. Ruby Falls in Chattanooga became the first tourist attraction in Tennessee to become Green Globe Certified, and in Memphis, the Riverfront Development Corp.’s Beale Street Landing features a green roof that flows along with nearby Tom Lee Park.

– Anthony Martinez, of WBEZ91.5, talks about “A green roofs check-in.” A local radio listener asked the question: “Are the tops of skyscrapers still being planted with green space and what have the benefits been?” A lot of people still don’t really know that much about green roofs and the good they do. So Anthony Martinez went out to find some more information about Chicago’s green roofs. He started with Michael Berkshire, the Green Projects Administrator for Chicago’s Department of Housing and Economic Development.

Berkshire explained that besides the natural beauty of green roofs, they provide economic and environmental benefits like lowering heating and cooling costs, extending a roof’s life expectancy and managing stormwater runoff. Although the amount of construction has slowed down, green roofs are still being built right now, helping to improve Chicago. Martinez concluded his research with Dr. Milind Khire of Michigan State University, a member of the school’s Green Roofs Research Program. Khire agreed that green roofs have positive effects on buildings and their communities but to fully understand the benefits for the entire city, we need lots of green roofs, not just ones here and there. He’s currently working on a computer model to predict what the city-wide benefits would look like in that case.

– To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video. Here is the transcript from August 10, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here. Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for on GreenroofsTV.

– Our project of the week is the Auckland International Airport Novotel Hotel Green Wall built in 2011, in Auckland, New Zealand. Their website describes the Square Restaurant & Bar, where the green wall is located, as bringing “together exquisite cuisine, fine design and impeccable service with an unmistakably New Zealand sense of hospitality.” It is open 24 hours a day, and features “a stunning “˜living wall,’ [it is] the perfect place to relax with friends or colleagues. Enjoy an extensive selection of New Zealand wines and beers, artfully mixed cocktails and gourmet snacks as you soak up the relaxing atmosphere.”

The green wall has an array of native New Zealand flora, including cascading ferns and pan-pacific creepers. Completed last year, the two-story green wall was designed, built and installed by Natural Habitats, and is nurtured by a hydroponic system. It improves the indoor air quality by removing air pollutants and raising humidity levels, and it provides visual interest and environmental benefits, creating a more comfortable and relaxing work environment. The Auckland International Airport’s Novotel Hotel was awarded silver in the Spatial Design category at the 2011 Best Awards.

– To learn more about the Auckland International Airport Novotel Hotel Green Wall, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

– We’d like to welcome Optigreen International AG, our new advertiser! They are one of the leading companies in the green roof industry out of Germany. Look for one of their greenroofs featured as our Project of the Week coming very soon!

– American Rivers released their latest white paper, “Growing Green: How Green Infrastructure Can Improve Livability and Public Health.” They explore how green infrastructure practices can mitigate the urban heat island effect and provide a number of other public health benefits.

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest post: “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: August 3, 2012.”

– Guest Bloggers

– And check out Dr. Nigel Dunnett’s guest blog post about the “London Olympic Park: Star of the Show,” along with Dr. Steven Cohan’s guest blog post about the upcoming “Green Roof Research Summit at the University of Maryland on August 16-17, 2012.”

– Novia D. Rulistia of the Jakarta Post, says “Vertical gardens take root and flourish in green zone.” The Indonesia Greenwall office is one of several buildings and houses in Jakarta that utilizes green walls. Decky Rinawan of Indonesia Greenwall says, “the building itself has become a showroom for what vertical gardening can achieve. It shows everyone who is interested in helping make the city greener what can be done with technology and imagination.”

Last year the building underwent a makeover so it could feature the hanging garden of Harmoni and now features 339 square meters of vertical gardening.

– Ryan Gilbert of the Hartford Courant, talks about “Science Center’s Garden In Full Bloom With Flora And Grasshoppers.” The Connecticut Science Center opened its rooftop garden in May, and has become a popular attraction for both children and adults alike to enjoy native plants, views of downtown Hartford, the Connecticut River and the nearby countryside.

The 6,316-square-foot rooftop garden has several micro climates including a shade garden, an alpine garden and a children’s sensory garden. Some of the foliage include: blueberry bushes, strawberry plants, canna lilies, prickly pear cactus, various herbs and milkweeds. The Science Center is LEED-Gold certified and was recently certified as a monarch butterfly way-station. They are offering free admission to Hartford residents in the month of August. Check out their website (ctsciencecenter.org) for more information on tickets.

– To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!